A Moments Hesitation
by TouchofPixieDust
Summary: Kagome has been scarred in a demon attack, and Inuyasha decides that it is time to let her go home for her own safety. For good.
1. Feelings of Shame

Disclaimer: All characters from Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

A Moments Hesitation

Chapter One: Feelings of Shame

"INUYASHA!"

White hot pain seared through her chest. Kagome looked down in horror to see the blade piercing her flesh, bright red blood staining the front of her white sailors shirt. It had only been a moment's hesitation, but that's all it took. The decision of if she should fight or run had been a moment too long, and it cost her.

"Where is your great protector now, little girl?" the demon hissed.

Wow, talk about adding a little salt to the wound. For a moment, that hurt just about as much as the sword sticking out of her chest. He had gone to Kikyo. And she had yelled at him for it and stormed away. Her last moments with him were of yelling, and she regretted it. She wished she had told him that she appreciated everything that he did for her, that she treasured their time together. That she loved him.

The demon changed his grip on the blade, digging it in further. Just before she closed her eyes she saw a flash of red and silver in the distance.

"Time to die."

She didn't even have the breath to scream.

"Kagome!"

Her body jerked as the pain shot through her body. Mouth open in a silent scream as the sword continued to rip through her flesh.

"Kagome!"

A hand grabbed her shoulder and she jerked away. Or tried to at least. The hand was made of steel, and her body was too tired and weak to fight any longer. She failed him. She failed Inuyasha with her weakness. And it shamed her to realize that she left him with the last memory of her was her 'sitting' him. Twice.

"Kagome! Wake up NOW!"

The miko blinked, aware that her eyes were closed. Looking up she saw a pair of golden eyes full of worry. And full of sorrow and guilt, and shame. He looked down where his hand was and drew it back like he had been burned. The scar. The strap of her night shirt had slipped, revealing the now healed scar. It repulsed him. It must. Every time he looked at it he cringed and shuddered, and could barely bring himself to look at her for the rest of the day.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she said as she sat up.

Sorry for waking him up with her thrashing around. Sorry to be the cause of the guilt and shame when he looked at her. Sorry for being the weakest member of their group. Sorry for being a coward and still not telling him how she felt, even though she promised herself that she would if she ever got another chance. Sorry for failing him.

"It wasn't your fault, Inuyasha."

With a pained expression he looked over her shoulder, but he didn't speak. For a moment it looked like he might reach for her, but he clenched his hands into fists. She reached up to touch his face gently.

"Inuyasha... Inuyasha... I lov…"

"Don't. Please don't, Kagome."

She dropped her hand turned her head to the side so he wouldn't see the tears waiting to fall. It hurt him to have her around, and she couldn't stand hurting him anymore. Quickly she gathered up her belongings and stuffed everything into the bag.

"I think I should go home."

He didn't argue. He didn't fight. He simply nodded his head, even though it was still the middle of the night and she hadn't even bothered changing out of her pajamas. They didn't touch as they walked silently to the well.

_It's all my fault,_ she mourned.

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_It's all my fault,_ he mourned.

_If I hadn't gone off and left her… and I promised to never leave her… She must hate me. What have I done? _He kept his hands firmly tucked in his sleeves, gripping his arms in an effort not to reach out to her. To touch her. Just to make sure she was really alive.

What could he say to make this better? I'm sorry I left you to fend for yourself against a demon four times your size while I go just to see if Kikyo is okay? I'm sorry you almost died and are scarred for life because I felt guilty about a death that wasn't even really my fault? I'm sorry you almost had your heart and lungs sliced beyond repair because I'm selfish? I'm sorry you spent over a month in bed while your body tried to repair itself because I just HAD to have things my way? I'm sorry you have nightmares and are killed over again every night, reminding you just how badly I failed you? Yeah, those apologies would go over really well.

The well.

Inuyasha's ears drooped as he saw the well. She was leaving him. And she was never going to come back. Why should she? The jewel wasn't really her responsibility. And he certainly wouldn't expect her to keep her promise to stay by his side. Not after the attack. He couldn't ask that of her.

She was marked.

Each time he saw the scar over her heart he was reminded of what he had done. Rather, what he hadn't done. When she needed him most he wasn't there.

Everything. He had ruined everything with his selfishness. Kagome was his life, and now she was leaving him forever. He wasn't sure he would survive it. Already his chest hurt so bad he actually staggered.

If he asked her, she would stay. She loved him. Or she used to… before he let some nameless demon rip through her chest. He couldn't be forgiven for that even if he had torn it into shreds. And he couldn't ask her to. Her heart was too kind, and one day she would forgive him. But he lost the one thing that he treasured above all else in life, Kagome's heart. He was unworthy, and he knew it.

But he wouldn't be selfish this time. He would let her walk away. He'd let her have her life back. Her freedom.

"I'm going," she said to him in that gentle way she had.

His claws dug into his arms. He wouldn't touch her. He'd let her go. He wouldn't beg her to stay with him. If he touched her… he didn't think he'd have the strength to let her go. And he just couldn't bear to do that to her.

She sat the bag on the edge of the well and turned to face him. Her eyes were so sad. He put that sadness there. Maybe… maybe one day she would find happiness again. It would break him that she wouldn't find the happiness with him, but he had to do what was best for her.

He didn't mean to do it.

But he did.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he dared. Bending his head down, he breathed deeply, though unsteadily. Oh, how he would miss her scent. Her warmth. Her voice. How could he not have her with him anymore? How could he survive the torment his life had been before she came along? She was his home. She was where he belonged.

But he had ruined that.

Slowly he loosened his embrace and stepped back. He had to let her go. He took another step back and waited as she pulled herself over the wall of the well. Her smile was weak, but at least he got one last smile.

"Bye, Inuyasha."

And then she was gone.

The light faded and Inuyasha was alone. He walked over to the well and looked down into the yawning darkness. He felt hollow. Lost. What had he done?

"She's never coming back… is she, Inuyasha?"

"Go away, Shippo."

But the kit crawled up onto the well and looked down. "This is all your fault, idiot," the kit scolded. There was no anger in his voice. Only sorrow.

_I know_, Inuyasha agreed.

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Author's Note: This is part one of a three part story. _Constructive criticism _is appreciated, reviews are treasured, and flames are disregarded.


	2. Feelings of Fear

Disclaimer: All characters from Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and I don't own Photoshop (well... I do own it, but just some software and not the company), but this story belongs to me.

A Moments Hesitation

Chapter Two: Feelings of Fear

It was dark.

And scary.

Even the sound of the wind managed to be frightening. Or maybe it was the way Inuyasha had looked at her before she left. Maybe that was what was causing her so much fear. Or maybe it was simply the fact that it was the middle of the night that made the walk from the well house to the main house look so frightening and forbidding.

She wished Inuyasha was there.

Quickly Kagome walked across the yard, her heart pounding harder than it should. She faced demons on a daily basis for heaven's sake! What was so scary about walking around outside in the middle of the night in her own yard?

A shadowy figure walked near the steps of the shrine, and Kagome remembered just why she should be afraid. Dropping her backpack she sprinted to the door and yanked it open. Tried to yank it open, anyhow. Recent thefts made it where her family had taken to locking their door. Fearfully she looked behind her, preparing herself to ward off an assailant. How was she supposed to get inside? She needed... aw heck. She HAD a key!

Key. Key. Where's her key?

In the bag.

In the bag she dropped halfway across the yard.

The yard where shadows that were probably hiding killers and muggers and kitten kickers. She gulped. After wiping her sweaty palms on her pajamas, Kagome took a deep breath and bolted towards her bag. Her feet pounded against the ground as she approached it. Slamming on the brakes she skidded near the bag, turned on her toes in a move that would have looked very ballet like if it wasn't for the flailing arms, and grabbed the pack as she raced back to the door.

Rooting around in the bag took longer than it should have as she fumbled through the contents. Why did she bring so much junk with her? Great! Just great. She'd get murdered on her front doorstep because she just had to bring the contents of her medicine cabinet with her. Death by deodorant dependence.

From the corner of her eye she saw a shadow move. Her heart lurched, threatening to stop. Luckily when her hand in the bag jerked it brushed against the key. Quickly she opened the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Safe.

She was safe.

But doors and windows were so fragile. How easy would it be for someone to break in if they really wanted? Kicking off her shoes, Kagome double checked the lock on the door then went to all the windows on the downstairs floor and made sure they were locked as well. Once she was finished she allowed herself to breathe.

"Well, no chance of sleep now," she grumbled.

Maybe there was some chocolate ice cream. That would make her feel better. Halfway to the refrigerator she stubbed her toe on a chair. Stupid furniture. It was less dangerous just squatting on the floor. Back only a couple of minutes and she was already homesick for the Feudal Era.

Something on the refrigerator made Kagome stop. It was a picture. But there was something odd about it. Forgetting about the ice cream, she grabbed the picture and headed towards her room. Once she was safely in her own room she turned on the light. Her window was closed. Was it locked? Did she want it locked? What if a killer tried to crawl through her window? She crossed the room and locked it. But what if Inuyasha came and he thought she was locking him out. She unlocked it.

Then she cracked it open just a bit.

Eventually she stopped mooning over the window went to her bed and sat down to look at the picture in her hand. She laughed.

"Oh Souta."

It was a family portrait. In the back stood her mother stood on the left and her grandfather stood on the right. Souta stood in front of his grandfather while Kagome stood in front of her mother. That wasn't the unusual thing about the photo. The unusual part was that Inuyasha was standing slightly behind her a little farther to the left.

Kagome let herself fall backwards, laying down. She recognized the picture. But before it had a blue background. Something plain and simple. Now it had a picture of the god tree in the back. She smiled. Someone had fixed the photo.

"Photoshop," she murmured, remembering that her mother bought the program for her brother when he started getting interested in computers. "Looks like the kid put it to good use."

Seeing her favorite dog eared demon finally relaxed her enough to contemplate sleep. Setting the photo on the bed she went to the bathroom to take a quick bath and brush her teeth. As she undressed she noticed the scar on her chest again. Her fingers traced the faint white line.

He had saved her.

Again.

She smiled as she dropped her fingers and studied the scar. There was no way he could have actually gone to Kikyo and still arrived in time to save her. He must have started on his way and turned back. There wasn't time for him to have said more than two words to her before turning back, and that was if he was going at full speed. Inuyasha had come for her, instead of Kikyo. It was almost worth getting the sword shoved through her chest for that.

Not quite, but almost.

Stupid idiot. How could he not see that this scar wasn't something she would ever be ashamed of. Heck, every time she looked at it or touched it she was reminded that he had come for her. He had saved her, just like he was always saving her. Wait... did he know that's how she felt?

"Maybe I'm the stupid idiot," she told her reflection.

Climbing into the shower she washed up, and thought about how she should talk to Inuyasha about this. He didn't seem to want to hear the words from her. Maybe it would take more than words this time. Maybe it was time to grow a spine and take a little action.

But... what action?

He seemed to not want her to touch him. If she tried anything along the lines she was currently thinking (Bad Kagome, she scolded herself), he was sure to bolt. Leaning against the chilly tile she let the hot water pour over her as she tried to think of a solution. The picture sitting on her bed floated through her mind and she smiled. Proud not only of her brother's new technological skills, but also of the fact that he had put so much effort into making Inuyasha a part of their family. Who knew that Photoshop could take something special and make it even more special?

Hmmm...

Photoshop...

An idea struck her. But was she brave enough? Secure enough in their relationship for such a permanent decision? There was only a moments hesitation, then she let out a laugh and mentally made her plans for the next day. She only hoped that her mother wouldn't kill her.

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Something was seriously wrong with Kagome. She was acting like something was after her. But when he sniffed the air he couldn't find any scents that didn't belong. So why was she running around like demons were on her tail?

Well aware that his good intentions had only lasted a few moments after the light in the well faded, Inuyasha kept to the shadows to keep an eye on his miko. Even if he couldn't be with her, she still needed his protection. She was nervous. No, not just nervous. She was scared. Didn't the idiot know that he would protect her? Oh... yeah... she thought she left him on the other side of the well... Leaving her without protection just wasn't an option. So if he had to watch her from the shadows for the rest of their lives, then so be it. He would devote his life to keeping her safe.

Finally she was in the house. He listened as she locked the door. Then watched as she moved through the house and locked all the windows. Was she trying to make sure that he stayed out? Didn't she know that she didn't have to worry about him anymore? To keep her safe he would stay away from her (though not so far that he couldn't be there in a heartbeat if she was in danger), so she shouldn't have to worry about him coming into her house.

Now that she was inside, it was safe to go to his tree. In one leap he was on his branch and watching through the leaves for Kagome to enter her room.

And waiting.

What was taking her so long?

Finally she came in her room and turned on the light. She looked tired. Worn out. Beaten. He saw her look at the window. Her fear wrenched his heart. Did she see him? Was that why she was coming to the window?

No. She locked it.

She was locking him out.

His heart dropped. This was the end. She didn't want him. She didn't want him anywhere near him. The one thing he was afraid of was finally coming to pass. He really had ruined everything after all. He was truly the idiot that Shippo called him.

Then a miracle happened.

She unlocked it.

And she opened it slightly.

Inuyasha's ears flicked forward as he felt something stirring in his chest. Hope. She was standing there, watching. Waiting. Did she sense him? Should he show himself? Should he start apologizing? Would he be able to tell her he was sorry without messing things up even more?

Before he could get his frozen muscles to move him forward she walked away from the window and sat on her bed. She was holding a piece of paper and smiling. Laughing.

"Oh Souta."

What had the brat done to make her so happy? After smiling stupidly at the paper for a bit she flopped down on the bed and stared at it sappily a little more. What the heck was on that piece of paper?

"Photoshop," she finally said, not that it made any sense to Inuyasha. "Looks like the kid put it to good use."

Setting the paper carefully on the bed, Kagome walked into her bathroom. Inuyasha waited. Curiosity was driving him insane. He needed to see what was on that paper, but he didn't want to be caught in her room. He didn't want her to know that he couldn't even give her ten minutes worth of space before he was driven to be beside her.

When he heard the water running and the fruity scent of "body wash" tickled his nose, he knew he was safe for quite some time. Once she started bathing, he had all the time in the world. Besides, even when she was done with the bath she still had that loud heat blowing thing that dried her hair, so that was another ten to thirty minutes that he had. Not to mention the time it took to put that lotion on her legs and arms and brush her hair and teeth and floss... he had plenty of time!

Carefully he pried open the window and crawled inside. Once by the bed he peered down at the paper, not wanting to move it or touch it so he wouldn't arouse any suspicion. But seeing his own face on the paper startled him into picking it up. It was the family photo, the one he saw downstairs on Kagome's mother's desk. And somehow his picture was there too.

This magic... this Phoh-toh Shop... it put him in their family picture. It made him part of their family. The kid had done this, if he understood Kagome correctly.

The brat was on his side.

His ears drooped. But that was before the attack. Would he be so willing to have him in the family if he knew what he had allowed happen to his sister? Had his foolishness cost him not only Kagome, but the family he had always craved?

Sitting on her bed he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. He had to be careful not to let it lull him to sleep, so he opened his eyes and studied the picture. If the paper was just folded a little bit... it would be a picture of him and Kagome. It looked like his arm was around her. Protecting her. Like family... like a friend... like a ... a mate.

Mate.

How stupid was he? He had his chance and he blew it. He didn't deserve to be in this picture with her. Some other...

His hands twitched. Some other guy? Some other guy in their family picture? Some other guy with his arm around Kagome? Some other guy protecting her? Some other guy... WITH HER????

"No," he growled.

But what could he do? She wasn't his. Not anymore. But how could he ever stand to see her with anyone else? The thought alone made his blood boil. How long did he have until Some Other Guy takes her away from him? Until she loves someone else? Would he survive it?

Would the world?

The shower turned off and Inuyasha waited for the loud blowing thing to start up before he stood up. He made sure that the picture was just where she left it. Uh oh... he had folded it on accident... and now there was a line! Quickly he tried to smooth it out, but it wasn't working. It was just a little line... surely she wouldn't notice... would she? He stood back and looked at the paper. It bent a little bit where it had been folded, making a little tent on the bed. She'd notice.

On impulse he took the photo, re-folded it, and put it under his shirt near his heart. Then he made his escape.

His heart beat heavily in his chest. He shouldn't have given in to curiosity. He shouldn't have picked up the paper. He shouldn't have gone inside her room! Now she'd know he was there. She'd hate him even more for his stalking her like this. But it was protecting, not stalking! What... what if she looked at him in revulsion? With hate?

Finally Kagome put him out of his panicked misery and walked out of the bathroom. The suspense was killing him. She had changed pajamas too. He supposed the ones that she wore outside to sleep smelled like smoke and dirt. Why did her pajamas cover nearly every inch of her body when the regular clothes she wore showed so much of her skin? No one saw her when she slept. Maybe it got too cold for her at night. She already used that heavy sleeping bag of hers... what else could he do to protect her from the chill. His cheeks blushed when a wayward thought popped into his head and he pushed it right back out. He couldn't let him think THOSE kinds of thoughts anymore. Besides, she wouldn't be coming back. Now she would always have that nice warm and comfortable bed.

So why wasn't she climbing into that nice warm comfortable bed? Did she notice the picture was gone? Why was she touching the rumpled covers like that and smiling?

The fear faded as she pulled back the blankets and crawled under. Good. She hadn't noticed. It was a good thing she wasn't always so smart. But reasons like that are why she needed him to protect her. She didn't have a good enough nose to know that someone had been in her room. Satisfied that he had gotten away with his breaking and entering, Inuyasha made himself comfortable for a night of miko watching.

"Good-night, Inuyasha," she whispered softly.

Poor confused girl.

It was a good thing he was there to watch out for her.

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Author's Note: This is part two of a three part story. As always, _constructive criticism _is appreciated, reviews are treasured, and flames are disregarded. TP-ing a person's home, however, falls under the 'flame' category.

Thanks for the very kind reviews. Interesting that I'll write drama, but I have a hard time reading it unless assured of a happy ending (I'm one of THOSE people who'll read the end of the book first to make sure there is a happily ever after). Luckily with my drama I KNOW how it is going to end.

I already know what is going through Kagome's head, but you're free to guess.


	3. Feelings of Pride

Disclaimer: All characters from Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi but this story belongs to me. I don't own Photoshop either.

A Moments Hesitation

Chapter Three: Feelings of Pride

Her fingers trembled.

Even with her mother's permission it still felt funny to be doing this.

Fear caused her to hesitate on the threshold.

But this is what she wanted. She needed something physical to prove to Inuyasha that she not only loved him, but that she was proud of him. She wanted to prove to him that she was proud of the scar on her chest. And with Inuyasha, words rarely worked. So the night before she talked to her mother. She had outlined what she was planning to do and why she thought this was a good idea. The opposition she had been expecting never came. In fact, her mother seemed unusually pleased with the plan. Next she had to talk Souta into doing her a favor. She told him what she wanted, and he used his nifty little computer program to give her exactly what she wanted. That wasn't a difficult favor to ask either, the kid had been thrilled to be a part of this.

Okay, Grandpa wouldn't have been thrilled about the plan had anyone told him about it. But Kagome figured she could hide it from him for awhile... until she was in her thirties or forties maybe.

She placed her hand on the cool glass of the door. She was really and truly going to do this. It was a little scary.

"Stick to the plan," she murmured.

"I will, Kagome," her mother assured her.

Kagome nodded, certain that her mother could guard the door, even from an irate half dog demon. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. But better safe than sorry.

Throwing back her shoulders, Kagome bolstered her courage and opened the door. No turning back from here. The place was surprisingly clean and well lit. It wasn't at all the dark and seedy place she had been expecting. Feeling more confident, she walked to the front desk and handed the man a piece of slightly rumpled paper. He took the paper and looked it over, not so much as raising an eyebrow.

"How old are you, kid?"

Kagome used her head to indicate the woman standing right outside of the door. "That's my mom out there, you want to go ask her?"

Apparently he did. When he returned he looked a little bemused from his conversation with her mother, which he required that she prove (and she did). With a shrug he showed Kagome to her seat and explained, in painful detail, just what exactly he was going to do.

"I'm ready," she told him.

"It won't hurt," he said, "Much."

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"It won't hurt," he said, "Much."

After all, seeing Kagome was enough for him. So what if he never got to touch her again, or have her touch him? It won't hurt that much. He'd get over it one day. It was only his heart. His soul.

He stared down at the door of the shop she entered. He'd never seen her enter that place before. In fact, he couldn't recall her ever going down this street. But why did she leave her mouth outside? It was almost as if she were... standing guard? Suddenly he tensed. Kagome thought she might be in danger? He tried to make sense of the smells, trying to locate one that might be dangerous. Wrinkling his nose he decided that half these smells (AT LEAST) were of some threat to her. Heck, if would be best all around if everyone was considered an enemy.

What kind of protection did she think her mother would be able to provide, anyhow? The woman didn't have a single weapon. Plus it was really difficult thinking that she would raise her voice, much less a hand, to anyone.

What was taking Kagome so long in there?

Quickly he jumped from the roof of the building across the street and hid behind the corner of the store. What was that girl up to? And how could he get in without alerting her mother? If she saw him, then she would tell Kagome for sure! She was too aware of her surroundings, it was almost as if she was looking for someone. She almost looked expectant. But who would she be expecting? Or was it Kagome who was expecting and her mother was keeping an eye out for her? What if it was that boy? What kind of place was she at anyhow?

Finally... FINALLY... Kagome came out of the shop. Alone. She was blushing.

Inuyasha's ears flattened back. Just who was making her blush like that? Was he still in the shop? It was a difficult decision to make. Follow Kagome or go into the shop and sharpen his claws on the rival male. He was reeeeally leaning in the direction of going into the shop, but there was something strange about the scent coming from Kagome that concerned him.

They walked straight home, no other stops along the way. And they were both walking with a strange spring in their steps. His heart dropped when he realized Kagome kept lifting her hand to touch the area where her scar was. Was it still bothering her? Or was she thinking about how he failed her? He was debating which one was worse when they arrived at the shrine. He found a nice comfortable spot to keep watch.

From a window he saw them prepare and eat dinner. Souta was unusually excited, and kept pulling at his sister's shirt. Inuyasha growled. He gave the kid two seconds to stop that before he made Kagome an only child.

Did he just see a bandage?

KAGOME WAS HURT?

Who did it? Was it bad? How had he missed it? Did she need a doctor? Should he take her back to Kaede?

When she went straight to the bathroom when she entered her room, Inuyasha snuck in through the open window. He would just see if she was okay... then he'd leave. She'd never even know he was there.

Then he heard the hiss of pain.

WHAM!

"Aaaahh!" she screeched.

"Gack!"

Inuyasha backed out of the door he had just kicked in. Kagome was clad only in her skirt and that funny looking contraption she wears under her shirts, the one he was never ever EVER supposed to mention. He turned to leap out the door, certain that she was about to 'sit' him through the floor.

"Wait!"

He froze in mid crouch as he was preparing to jump. Warily he turned his head slightly until he could see her out of the corner of his eye. The white bandage on her chest drew his attention, and he lost all color in his face. She WAS hurt.

Before Kagome could blink, he was standing in front of her touching the edge of the bandage that was undone. Was it possible that the wound was still causing her pain? He hated that thought.

"Does... does it hurt?"

Gingerly she touched the bandage, holding her shirt in front of her to cover her chest. "Well, it does still sting a bit, actually."

His entire body drooped. Things were worse than he imagined if even after all this time it still hurt her.

"Would... would you like to see?"

Inuyasha gulped. He wasn't sure if he could stand to see the scar again. It killed him every time he thought about how close he came to losing her. How she almost died because of him. But he had to see if it was somehow infected. He had to make sure that she would be okay. Though somehow he wasn't able to pull at the tape.

"Some people think it hurts less to just rip it off," she explained when he still didn't pull on the tape holding the bandage in place, "But I think that if you go slowly and gently that it won't hurt so bad."

"I can't hurt you," he told her, yanking his hands away from her and dropping down on his haunches. "I can't."

She sighed. Then she smiled.

"Okay," she said cheerfully, "I'll just do it myself." She pulled on the bandage and gave a little yelp of pain.

Inuyasha stood up and batted her hands away. "Stop that, idiot."

Taking a deep breath, the dog demon took hold of the corner and ever so gently began to peel the tape away. He concentrated on the tape, and tried hard to ignore how hard her heart was beating. The harder hers beat, the harder his beat. The fact that she was only holding the shirt to her front made it all the more nerve wracking. Seeing her bare shoulders was almost enough to make him loose his nerve. But he continued to pull.

After exposing a few inches of skin, Inuyasha noticed something strange. Not that he was looking at her chest or anything, it was just that he was checking to see if he was pulling too hard. But it was a good thing he did, because otherwise he wouldn't have noticed the black line on her skin.

"Kagome... what...?"

"Keep pulling," she said.

Slowly he peeled down the bandage, more concerned than ever. Slowly he uncovered something that made his heart stop beating.

His name.

It was his name written in kanji, slanted upwards following the path of a leaf. It was his name... His...

"Kagome..."

She cleared her throat, suddenly unable to look him in the eye as her cheeks flushed. "It's a tattoo, Inuyasha."

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Do... do you like it?"

"My name..."

"Yes."

He couldn't take his eyes off of it. She was marked.

"At first I thought I'd put a picture of your sword on it... but you're more than just a sword. More than a protector and a warrior. Then I thought about a jewel shard... but you are more than that too. So... I used a picture of one of the leaves from the God tree." She let him move the strap of her undergarment slightly so that he could see the entire thing.

She was marked... as his...

"The tree is where so much happened. That's where we met. It's where I realized... well... a lot about my feelings. So Souta and I worked on a design using his Photoshop program. We took some pictures and I liked this one best. See how it is turned a little sideways? Anyhow, he converted it into black and white. Then I wrote your name in kanji using ink and a brush. He scanned that in and did an outline of it. I talked it over with Mom and she thought it was a good idea since you seemed to be... uh... bothered by the scar. I thought that this way when you saw it you'd know... well... you'd know that I'm not ashamed of it, that I am... kinda proud of it. And you. Um... what do you think?"

She... she marked HERSELF as his!

She was his?

She was his!

She... wait... what if it didn't mean what he thought it meant? He studied the tattoo as his heart beat furiously in his chest. He couldn't mess this up. Something important was happening, and he couldn't mess this up. Did she ask him a question?

Nervously she looked down on the tattoo. The tattoo of HIS name. HIS mark.

"Um... I was just about to put the salve they gave me on it. It is supposed to make it heal right and not fade."

It could fade?

"Where's the salve?"

She turned and walked to the bathroom. Once she reached the door she turned and looked at him expectantly. Was she waiting for him to follow? Shoot, didn't have to ask him twice! She smiled shyly when he walked in her direction. Good. So far he hadn't messed things up.

Averting her eyes she held out the medicine. Nervously Inuyasha took it. He looked at her to see if she really was asking him to put it on her. She wouldn't meet his eyes, but she didn't take the salve back.

It was cool and a little slimey, and it smelled funny. But he put some on his forefinger and touched it to her skin. He looked up at her to see if she was going to pull away.

She didn't.

So he continued to trace the path of the lines. He traced the path of the lines of his name. Then he traced the lines of the leaf. The scar ran straight through the leave, in fact, it seemed as if was the main vein and stem of the falling leaf. Kagome wasn't hiding the scar, she was making it a part of the mark. His mark.

_Please let it be what I think it is_, Inuyasha prayed.

When the salve was applied, and he couldn't think of a good reason to still be touching her skin, Inuyasha pulled away. He watched as Kagome turned around to pull on her shirt. She was blushing, but she was also smiling. He followed her back into her bedroom. There she took a seat on the edge of her bed and watched him.

"It's my name." He swore, it was the only thing he could think of to say.

"Yes."

"On purpose?"

She laughed. "Yes."

He sat beside her and tried to see the tattoo. He wanted to see his name.

Heh, no one else could claim her now!

Unless... unless it didn't mean what he thought it meant. But how could he ask without it sounding wrong? After all, what if it didn't mean what he thought it meant? It would be mortifying!

"Do you like it?"

He nodded slowly. His heart hadn't slowed down even a little bit. At this rate it would explode soon. He swallowed. He had to know.

"Does... does this mean..." he blushed and turned away. He couldn't do it.

Kagome drew her legs up onto the bed and turned to face him. She took a lock of his hair and tugged on it until he looked at her again. "Does it mean what?"

Gulp.

He was going to feel like such an idiot.

"Does it mean... the mark... does it mean... that you are... mine...?"

She inhaled sharply, and Inuyasha cringed. She bit her lip and nibbled on it, and didn't let go of his hair. In fact, she seemed to be studying the lock she held captive.

"Do you... want me?"

His breath frozen in his lungs as his body seemed to be paralyzed. The she looked up at him with those warm eyes of hers. They seemed so unsure. So hopeful.

"Yes."

She didn't smile. Not exactly. It was more like she was lit up from inside, and not with that scary aura she sometimes got. No, this was more like she glowed. She was radiant. He couldn't help himself, he pulled her into his arms.

"Are you mine, Kagome?"

"Yes!" she cried.

He felt like crying a bit himself as he buried his face in her hair, pulling her even closer. She was his. She was HIS! He held on to her shoulders and gently pushed her away, studying her face. Needing to know that she meant it.

"Are you sure?"

She laughed and smacked his chest. "Of course I am, you dummy. I love you!"

Unable to speak, he pulled her back into his arms. She chose him! She wanted him! She LOVED HIM!!! His heart felt like it just might burst after all. It was her who finally pulled away from him, goodness knows he wasn't able to let her go.

"Um... what about you...?"

"What?" He took a lock of her hair, much like she had done to him. But it wasn't to get her attention, it was to keep contact.

"Are you mine?"

What? Was she crazy? He asked her as much.

She stopped looking at him and began to find great interest in the blanket on the bed. She traced a pattern on the cloth. Inuyasha put his hand on hers to make her stop.

"I just... I mean I know that you still have feelings for Ki..."

"Are you serious?"

"Well, I know that you still go to..."

"Are you an idiot?"

Kagome frowned at him. But at least now she was looking at him. Though the way she was looking at him it suddenly didn't seem like a good thing. But he saw doubt in her eyes, almost as much doubt as anger. He'd really like to get back to where she was looking at him with those soft eyes that glowed with love, not scary miko magic.

"If I wanted to be with anyone else, I would be. But I choose to stay with you. You... you're the most important thing in the world. I will always choose to be by your side."

The scariness was gone, and the love was back. He sighed with relief.

"Do you love me?" she asked.

His first instinct was to run. The second was to deny. They were his defense mechanisms. It was how he kept from being hurt. He looked at his mark on her chest. There really wasn't any need for that though, was there? She loved him. She chose him. She was his, and he was never going to let her go.

"...yes..." He prepared to run anyhow... just in case.

But she squealed and launched herself at him, knocking him back onto the bed and he had no choice but to hold on to her. If this was the reaction he'd get, then maybe he'd have to say it more often.

"I do," he said as he held her tightly. "I do love you, Kagome."

She laughed with joy and pressed a kiss to his lips. Yep, he was going to have to learn to say it a whole lot more often.

"Think I can get a tattoo, too?" he asked when she finally came up for air.

She sat up on his stomach and looked down at him. She cocked her head to one side on touched his chest.

"I think that it would heal too fast. I don't think it would take."

He was disappointed.

Then she grinned at him and put her elbows on his chest and propped her head up on her hands to look him in the eyes. The elbows were a bit uncomfortable, but he'd put up with anything if she'd keep looking at him like that.

"I could always paint one of for you," she suggested.

"Yeah?"

"Sure," she said as she traced an imaginary pattern on his chest. "And when it wears off I'll just paint on another."

Inuyasha grinned. Now THAT sounded like a good idea.

Fin

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Author's Note: This is part three of a three part story. Now that it is down on paper (so to speak) I can finally concentrate on my other stories instead of obsessing.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to review. I hope you liked the story. Originally it was going to be a one-shot, but I figured it would make a better short trilogy type of thing.


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